Need for Speed | Bonneville Salt Flats Vintage Lithographs

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Original caption, ca. 1951, Utah, USA — On the Measured 13 Mile Straight-a-way Course, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Roland R. Free, Making a New American Motor-Cycle Record. Roland R. Free, of Los Angeles, Calif., riding a British-Vincent Motor-Cycle in a prone position to cut down wind resistance approximately 2 miles, on Sept. 11, 1950, established a new American speed record for 1 mile @ 156.71 miles per hour. Mr. Free’s picture was taken from an automobile running parallel to the black line while traveling in excess of 100 M.P.H. just before the auto reached the measured 1 mile zone of the 13 mile straight-a-way course, Mr. Free caught up with the automobile and immediately after his picture was taken, he gave his Motor-Cycle the gun; the photographers say it seemed like they were still, the way he left them with his sudden burst of speed. — Image by © Lake County Museum

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Original caption, ca. 1951, Utah, USA — Mormon Meteor. The World’s Greatest Unlimited Speed Record Maker, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. The Days Run Completed. Holding All Speed Records from 10 Miles to 7,134 and from One Hour to 48 Hours. Mormon Meteor: David Abbott (Ab) Jenkins. Owner-Driver, and founder of the Salt Flats as a race course. Utah born and reared 1883. Religion, (Mormon). Holder of more world’s unlimited records than any man in history of sports. The only man who has ever driven an automobile continuously without relief for 24 hours, under supervision of contest board. Awarded champion of champions plaque and cup for the world’s safest driver. In 1950 at age 67, he made his fastest lap of 13 miles @ 199.19 M.P. H. Raced his last time in July, 1951. Now retired. He attributes his stamina to the fact, he never in his life, tasted liquor or tobacco. Average M.P.H, Distance: 199.19, 10 Miles — Image by © Lake County Museum

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Original caption, ca. 1938, Utah, USA — The Bonneville Salt Flats is a salt deposit left by the receding of ancient Lake Bonneville. This deposit covers about 159 square miles extending some nine miles along U.S. Highways 40 and 50 and the Western Pacific Railroad. The salt is white, crystalline aggregate, porous, hard and rigid so that it supports loaded trucks. In 1912 this area was tested as a race track and has since proved to be the greatest automobile speedway in the world. In 1931 Ab Jenkins of Salt Lake City broke all former world speed records. Here on September 15, 1938, John Cobb established a record of 350.07 miles per hour. The next day Captain G.E.T. Eyston set a world’s record of 357.50 miles per hour. Aug. 26, 1939, John Cobb again became the world’s automobile speed king by driving his car 369.74 miles per hour. — Image by © Lake County Museum

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FASTEST SPEEDWAY-NEAR GREAT SALE LAKE, UTAH. SIR MALCOLM CAMPBELL IN THE “BLUEBIRD” DOING OVER 301 MILES PER HOUR.  The Bonneville Salt Flats is a salt deposit left by the receding of ancient Lake Bonneville which at one time covered about 20,000 sq. miles.  This Salt Deposit covers about 159 sq. miles that extend about 9 miles along Western Pacific R. R. Salduro Station lies at about the center. The Salt is a white coarsely crystalline aggregate and is porous.  Though the Pore Space is entirely filled with a saturated brine, the material is hard and rigid so that it supports loaded trucks. In 1912 the Bonneville Salt Flats was tested as a race course and declared the greatest speedway in the world.  In 1931 Ab Jenkins of Salt Lake City broke all speed records.  Since then most of the world’s famous drivers have had their try on this — Image by © Lake County Museum/CORBIS

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